The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1887-06-03


Iopejt arrived there one glorious
a!eernoon IN October. I foundt the little
place 10 . staee oe ereat excitement.
And Why notE Juanita, tho loveliest
maiden q IopeJi, the betrothed Of
Comes TeJada, the richest and most
popular young citizen Of the village,
had disappeared. and no trace Of her
could BE- found: More than that I
learned that durtugthe pastsfx months
many citisens OF T'opeji, having left
home on journeys over the road to
Fopccatapctl, had never been heard Of
more. And yet NO villagers were more
pious or more liberal In their contribu-
lions to the church. The poor never
had moro willing friends than the good
people OF Topejt. a. the crippled beg
gar Lopez, who sat all day long by the
roadside beyond the village. would
gladly testify. they said.
.sr hec.me .~con.,ntad Nth cor,..
Tsiada al onoe. and tried to comsoyt
him. but In vain. and late m tho nsrt
afternoon. after arrivino In Tone,i +
started on INV tourney toward Pono-
catanetl. Glad to escana from AZ maj
erief. AZ nassed tbe honndsr;as ~
the VILLAGE. I m n miserahle creat,sa
crouchipr bv the roadside. sAhr
Thought T. the crinnled heccar LIMO.
doubfless., and nrenarcd 81 c;va liz,
aims. was astr,de INV mn,e' and 40
I approached the berOar r niichted to
have a slipht tail with him ss T
dropped INV mite into his ontstrot"ho
withered hand. His taco was mnfied :.
and I stopped low to place the coin ~
his hand. As I stooned I saw = nova.
ment of his other hond- and n fla.h In
the LIGHT Of the descendino ann r.
the flash Of n hrioht.hlaicI kn;fe
which In another ;nstort would how
sunk to the hilt in INV throat. I seized,
the bercar,s arm. And the mnfi;nr
cloth fell from his face. and
great Heaveni was "a.
the yilIainous. murderons
couutenance of Lnioni .ramnasos the
nv friends had saved from the
dead! There was no mistakino the
face. There was M mistaIine the
great golden hoons in his aars He
but II was useless. min.
ioncd him in nv arms and bore him
back to the village. W. discovored .
curious horn whistle honr,nr hv :
string at his side. AZ once this
to me- that this was a coli n
summon others in Ieao,,e With i HIM
soon explained tn Come and othera
. dozen ready friends of Gomez' lad
by me. secreted themselves neor wbere
| had found the beggar. They were
well armed. At a signal the
was blown. In an instant half
u dozen men arose a few rods away,
rs II from the depths of the earth,
and hurried toward where we were hid
den. 1t was growing dark. We captured
tnem oil. and Misunderstanding vaga-
bonds they were. 1 led to tho spot
where the men had appeared SO sud-
denly. Hunting around in the bushes,
! found an opening in the ground.
Followed W part OF my force, the
rest being left to secure our captives. 1
the opening. Gomez was by
side. We followed q long tunnel,
which finally opened into a large
chamber, in which q dim light was
burning. We o o were able to e to
all parts OF the chamber. In one corn
er was q figure crouching in terror.
We approached 1t. It arose with a
shrlek and drew further away. The
next instant Gomez sprang forward
and 1 heard him say Juanita!. 1t was
the missing maiden OF Topeji.
..It is hardly necessary for mo IN sav
that Topeii had honnened tn bo tho
place where the doctors had dronned
Luioui Ia Tamnasa. mr. What wos Iaft
cred some Of his former band around
nm, q as Lopez, the beggar, he had
nInnder - " " f sH..in n u th is0l oana a mo
graves of twenty victims 70 this